100th post!

So I started writing a very non-impressive post regarding some typical, every-day things when I noticed that this was my 100th post. I felt I had to do some justice to this occasion, so I've decided to write about some of the things that made me fall in love with this wonderful city and it's amazing people.

-The Vietnamese people, in general, are some of the most hard-working I've seen. 90 year old women who seem to be sinking into their skin can be seen on all the streets, peddling chewing gum or selling newspapers. Women using the iconic hanging stick baskets rove the streets and alleys looking for an ideal place to set up their street food business for the day. These women literally carry their restaurant around with them; chairs, ingredients, cooking pots, and even charcoal grills are piled high in their hanging baskets. Yet all this weight doesn't seem to bother them, as they always appear to be smiling and chatting away with customers. Old men squat for hours on the side of the road, brandishing a hand-pump and a few dirty tools. They sit and wait for the unlucky person with a flat tire who happens to be nearby. The amount of things these men can do to a motorbike using the simplest of tools is truly remarkable. On my way to work one day, I was struck with a flat tire myself. As I pulled over to assess the damage, one older man jumped up from his spot on the road and flagged me over. Without a word, he got right to work, removing my tire, replacing the inner-tube, aggressively pumping up the tire, then screwing everything back into place with lightening speed. 5 dollars and 5 minutes later, I was back on the road.

-The Vietnamese people's appreciation for nature and well-being is infectious. Son and I drove by a "bird show" just the other day. About 100 men sat on little stools, surrounded by 100's of intricately-carved wooden bird cages suspended on wires (I'm so disappointed that I didn't have my camera!). The entire point of this get-together was to admire the birds and listen to them sing. When we drove by 2 hours later, they were still there, just enjoying the sound of the birds. Son informed me that they were likely swapping advice on how to improve the bird's song (his grandfather insists that purified water and daily petting are two 'musts' for a bird to have a "good voice"). Also, walking around any park or lake during any time of the day, one is sure to come across some group of Vietnamese people enjoying the scenery. Benches are everywhere, and rarely vacant. Groups of young adults gather at the parks to practice new dance moves, exchange new yo-yo tricks, show-off a new skateboard move, or even kick around a soccer ball. The older people show up to the parks armed with badminton nets and rackets, stringing the net between trees and taking advantage of the painted badminton courts on the sidewalks. Around 6am, groups of middle-aged women hit the parks with a boom box, and just as quickly as their rythmic arm twirling and pelvic thrusts begin, they disperse to carry on with the day's work. If you are looking for entertainment, look no further than a public park... and I am lucky enough to live across the street from one such place. :)

- Small motorbike accidents happen all the time. During rush hour, it is extremely common to have someone roll over your foot, or accelerate into your back tire. When this happens, it is usually greeted with a shrug and a smile. If no serious damage is caused, it is customary to simply ignore someone who has just hit you. This obviously took me a while to get used to, since the American way of dealing with any vehicle contact is to immediately jump out of the car, assess the damage, and then berate the person responsible. It is really amazing to me that people hit each other and take it as a matter of course. Then again, the traffic is so bad that coming in contact with someone else really is the norm. The only real fights I've seen in response to traffic accidents involve some major damage to the bike, and let me tell you, those arguments looked very intense (it is moments like these that make me thankful for my non-fluency).

-Vietnam is home to one of the most family-oriented cultures in the world. 3 or more generations live together in one home, with relatives usually living close by. The fact that everything revolves around family life always impresses me. Comparing the intensity of the Vietnamese family values to those of Americans, I almost feel ashamed that as grandparents age, we send them away to receive medical care, rather than take them into our own home. The independence of the American family makes holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving even more special, since it is a time for families to come together. Whereas in Vietnam, families are always together, yet celebrate family holidays with the same amount of vigor as Americans during our national holidays. Living here has definitely given me more respect for my family and a greater desire to stay close to them, which I think is one of the best lessons I will bring back with me to the States.

-The street culture never fails to amaze me. Absolutely everything is done on the street. Whether it be eating lunch, getting a haircut, repairing a motorbike, or shopping for food, everything happens right out there, in the open. The American culture has a tendency to hide behind storefront windows, creating displays to lure people inside. But here, everything is on the street; shops, cafes, and restaurants usually have no front door, and are just completely open instead... there is no guessing what is inside a Vietnamese shop, or even a Vietnamese house, as all of these things are open to the street and therefore easily accessible by all people walking by.

- The friendliness and curiosity of the Vietnamese people is definitely noteworthy: I have yet to meet someone who treats me with animosity because of my status as a "tay", or Westerner. Since I've put in the time to improve my Vietnamese, everyone I've met is so enthusiastic about my attempt to speak the language, however bad I may be. After saying even a few words in Vietnamese, I am usually greeted with hearty Vietnamese chatter, most of which is too fast for me to understand. Even with how little I can understand or explain, most people I've met won't stop trying to understand more about me, about my life, and about how I feel about Vietnam. Everyone wants to know why I'm living here, when I could be enjoying the "rich, Western lifestyle" instead. The fascination and determination of the Vietnamese people to get to know a stranger is truly inspiring.

In light of recent circumstances, I've only just realized that I will be returning to America in 2 short months. Honestly, I don't feel I am ready to leave Hanoi behind, but my educational ambitions are calling, and furthering myself in the field of Architecture is the most important goal in my life right now. Now that I know how limited my time is, I feel an even greater appreciation for this city. It is going to be extremely hard leaving everything behind, but I will be bringing home a new outlook on life, and new values to apply to my life in America. I am thankful for every experience I've had here, as every aspect of my life seems to have been enriched by the osmosis of Vietnamese culture.

TOI YEU HA NOI!!!!!!